Alabama

Zumbathon for a Cure is April 19

View full size(Courtesy of Olivia Garrett)Olivia Garrett will host the Zumbathon fundraiser on April 19.MOBILE, Ala. -- Two years ago, personal trainer Olivia Garrett switched her style of fitness to focus primarily on Zumba. The former spinning, toning, Pilates and yoga instructor was introduced to the fitness dance craze in 2008 and fell in love with it.

After packing out classes at the Hearin-Chandler branch of the YMCA, Garrett branched out on her own in December. Now, she's adding yet another phase to her business, Zumba With Olivia.

In conjunction with Dreamland Skate Center on Three Notch Road, the Mobile native will host Zumbathon For A Cure on April 19, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society. There is a $10 participation fee for the 90-minute class. Fellow Zumba instructors Elizabeth Hodges, Holly Bridges and Dawn McLaughlin will all serve as guest instructors.

Garrett said the idea for the event came from her stepmother-in-law, Tammy Garrett, chairwoman for the American Cancer Society, who attends her classes.

"She knows firsthand how many people attend my Zumba classes and asked if I would do a Zumbathon benefiting the organization, " Garrett said. "Being in fitness, I am passionate about health, so this was a natural match for me. Also, everyone has been touched by cancer. Whether it's a family member, friend, co-worker, neighbor, we have all been affected by this disease."

Zumba is a dance fitness program created by dancer and choreographer Alberto "Beto" Perez in Colombia in the 1990s. The program combines Latin and international music with dance in an effort to make exercise fun. Routines feature interval training sessions with fast and slow rhythms and resistance training, which are intended to tone and sculpt the body while burning fat.

Encouraging her Zumba clients to give back to the community is important to Garrett. In 2009, she collected canned goods and other products to stock the pantries of the Ronald McDonald House.

"My Zumba participants give me so much at every class. They have supported me, and I love my job," Garrett said. "Each week, the classes bring hundreds of people together with the common goal of being healthy. Events such as the food drive and Zumbathon are a wonderful way to connect and utilize Zumba participants and at the same time we're giving something back to the community."

Garrett will also take part in the Relay for Life at the University of South Alabama on April 30. She will give a free Zumba demo beginning at 8 p.m. prior to the luminary ceremony and will also have a team participating in the event.

"It's going to be a 45-minute demonstration, which should be a lot of fun," she said. "The more, the merrier." Anyone who wants to join her team can sign up with Olivia's Zumba Peeps at relayforlife.org/mobilemetro, she said.